Multi-edge rotary blade



p 23, 1969 K. v. BRAUNS 3,468,356

MULTI-EDGE ROTARY BLADE Filed Feb. 8, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Him INVENTUR.

KENNETH ERIN/N5 HHHQuuu-n:

Sept. 23, 1969 K. v. BRAUNS 3,468,356

MULTI EDGE ROTARY BLADE Filed Feb. 8, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIHIIHHTHH INVENTOR. KENNETH V. BRAUNS By dpddffl United States Patent 3,468,356 MULTI-EDGE ROTARY BLADE Kenneth V. Brauns, Parkville, Mo., assignmto Armour and Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 8, 1967, Ser. No. 614,575 Int. Cl. B26d 4/34 U.S. Cl. 146-95 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a multi-edge rotary blade for cutting any type product including meat and the like, and more particularly to a rotary blade having a plurality of cutting edges eccentrically disposed along the circumference of the blade to thereby make more than one slice per revolution.

Background of the invention In the meat industry, conventional rotary blades for slicing bacon are of a construction which permits the making of only one slice per revolution of the blade. The ordinary rotary blade is in the form of a cam or eccentric having a spiral or volute cutting edge, disposed in such manner that when the piece of bacon is brought into contact with the leading edge of the blade and the blade revolved, the eccentric shape of the blade causes the cutting edge to be drawn deeper and deeper into the meat until a complete slice of bacon has been severed. At this point, the blade has made one complete revolution, and the leading edge is again presented for the start of another out. As indicated, the conventional blade of this type is capable of making only one slice per revolution.

The yield or productivity of the conventional slicing system is directly dependent upon the number of slices of bacon which can be made per unit of time, and the industrys attempt at increasing productivity has generally been in the direction of increasing the rotary speed of the blade while at the same time increasing the speed at which the piece of meat is fed to the blade. By generally increasing these two variables, it has been possible to increase the output of sliced bacon.

It has been found, however, that there is a practical limit to the speed at which the blade can be rotated. At certain higher speeds, there is an increased tendency for the blade to distort the slices of bacon, such distortion being caused by the squashing eifect of the blade operating at very high speeds. Moreover, excessive vibrations are also created when the system is operated above certain maximum speeds, and these have a harmful effect on the entire slicing system since there is a resulting loosening and wearing of all the individual parts of the apparatus.

Summary of the invention It is an object of the present invention to provide a new multi-edge rotary slicing blade which etfectively increases the number of usable slices that can be made per unit of time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a blade which achieves this increase in the number of slices per unit of time, while at the same time permitting the rotary speed of the blade to be actually decreased from present commercial operating ranges.

Another object is to provide a blade which is extremely simple in construction and relatively inexpensive to manufacture, but which nevertheless is durable and effective in bringing about the aforementioned improvements in speed and efliciency.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be come apparent as the specification proceeds.

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The article of the present invention is a multiedge rotary blade lying in one plane and having a plurality of cutting edges eccentrically disposed along the circumference of the blade. The invention also includes means adapted for connection of the blade to a source of power for rotation. Stated in different terms, the invention comprises a rotary blade lying in one plane and comprising two or more cams disposed in such manner as to provide on the circumference of the blade a series of volute or spiral cutting edges, each of which has its leading portion closer to the center of rotation of the blade than its trailing portion.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the blade is made from a flat piece of steel having an area in the general configuration of two semicircular sectors disposed towards one another along their diameters but with their centers at different points. This results in one sector being offset or eccentrically disposed towards the other and gives the blade a cam action which is necessarily for proper slicing when rotated. The blade is rotated by a shaft fixed to the blade at its geometric center so that the only eccentricity in its rotation will be from the predetermined ofiset of the sectors. The circumferential edges of the sectors are ground and sharpened to form the two cutting edges of the blade.

Description of the drawings The invention will be more specifically described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a bacon slicing system which is generally comprised of a conveyor assembly for moving bacon bellies to the slicing blade, and a slicing blade for cutting the meat.

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the same.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the blade.

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view and FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a tightening hub.

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view and FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a driving hub.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are end elevational views of two other embodiments of the rotary blade having three and four cutting edges, respectively.

Preferred embodiment Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1-7, the rotary blade is identified generally by the numeral 10 and the cutting edges by the numeral 12. These cutting edges have the configuration of equal circular arcs. This is the preferred configuration, but it is not necessary that they be equal or circular, since they may be elliptical, serrated or of any other geometric configuration capable of slicing when the blade 10 is rotated.

For purposes of design and layout, the two-edged blade 10 in FIG. 2 can be thought of as two cams 14a and 14b, each in the shape of a semicircular sector initially disposed toward one another to form a circle but then oifset as illustrated by FIG. 2. The amount of offset 16 will be determined by the depth of the cut to be made in the meat by the blade 10. This relationship between the offset 16 and the depth of cut will be seen to exist when it is understood that the downward cutting movement of the blade 10 is the result of the cam action of the cutting edges 12, and the cam action is caused by the eccentricity of the semicircular sectors 14 with respect to the point of the blades rotation at its geometric center 17. By offsetting the sectors at a certain amount, the eccentricity of the blade 10 and the depth of cut it will make is determined. Deep cuts will thus require an offset greater than for thin cuts.

A hole 18 is provided at the geometric center 17 of the blade 10 which also has a plurality of bolt holes 24 provided at predetermined points symmetrically spaced about the center 17.

The driving hub 22 is a circular piece of milled steel having an outside collar 32, inside collar 20 which has a diameter slightly less than that of the hole 18 to provide for a snug fit therein. The hub 22 also has a plurality of tapped bolt holes 24 and two guide pins 36 that are in alignment with the bolt holes 24 of the blade 10, said guide pins 36 being adapted to pass through said holes 24 in the blade 10, and in the tightening hub 28 as hereinafter described. A shaft hole 38 is provided in the hub 22 for receiving the shaft 40 which is attached to a source of rotary power (not shown). A slight tolerance is provided to insure a tight fit between the shaft 40 within the shaft hole 38 which are fixedly secured to one another to prevent slippage or rotation of the shaft 40 within the shaft hole 38 by means of a key (not shown) positioned in a keyway 42 provided in the shaft 40 and shaft hole 38.

The tightening hub 28 is a flat circular piece of milled steel having a hole 34 at its center which is slightly larger than the inside collar 20 of hub 22, and having a plurality of bolt holes 24 in alignment with the bolt holes 24 of the blade and of the driving hub 22.

In fixing the blade 10 to the shaft 40, the driving hub 22 is first seated on the shaft 40 by passing the shaft 40 into the shaft hole 38 at the outside collar 32 until the end of the inside collar is reached. The keyways 42 provided in each are then aligned and a key (not shown) is positioned therein to fix one to the other.

The blade 10 is then seated on the driving hub 22 by passing the inside collar 20 through hole 18, and by rotating the blade 10 until the two guide pins 36 are aligned with two of the bolt holes 24 in the blade 10. The blade 10 is pushed through the guide pins 36 and flush against the driving hub 22. Next the tightening hub 28 is placed over the blade 10, and the inside collar 20 of the driving hub 22 is passed through the hole 34 of the tightening hub 28 which is rotated until two of its bolt holes 24 are in alignment with the guide pins 36. The hub 28 is then pushed through the guide pins 36 and flush against the blade 10. Threaded bolts 26 are passed through the aligned bolt holes 24 of the blade 10 and of hubs 22 and 28 and tightened to secure the hubs together and thus fix the blade 10 in a stationary position therebetween. A nut 44 is then threaded on the threaded portion of the shaft projecting beyond the blade and tightened to fix the blade and hubs to the shaft.

The multi-edge rotary blade which has thus been described may be used in connection with any suitable conveyor system 46. As shown in FIG. 1, the conveyor 46 may be adapted to advance the bacon bellies into contact with the rotary blade for slicing. A take-off mechanism, such as the bank of toothed wheels shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, may be provided to receive the shingled bacon slices issuing from the rotary blade.

Two other embodiments of the invention are shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 and have cutting edges in the configurabe sliced will determine their maximum number. The circumference of the edge 12 should be at least equal to the width of the product so the edge 12 will pass entirely through and yield a complete cut. Blades with larger diameters have larger circumferences and are capable of having more cutting edges with equal circumferential lengths and can consequently cut more slices per revolution.

In operation, the blade 10 is rotated about its geometric center 17 at hole 18. The sectors 14a and 14b are eccentrically disposed with respect to this center of rotation 17 and act as cams when the blade 10 is rotated. This produces the necessary slicing action by each of the slicing edges 11. This action is made up of two simultaneous movements, one directed downward toward the product to be sliced, and the other directed transversely or across the product. Thus, as the bacon 45, for example, is being fed to the blade 10, rotation of the blade provides the transverse movement, and the eccentric disposition of the cutting edges provides the downward movement.

The blade 10 herein has been described as being fabricated from a single piece of steel. The invention is not limited thereto but comprehends a blade made from any suitable material such as plastic or fiberglass having fixed thereto cutting edges of steel or other suitable material.

Although the invention has been described in detail primarily in connection with bacon slicing, it will be understood that the invention is also applicable to other meats, foods and any product or material which is fed to a rotary blade for slicing or cutting.

While the embodiments of the invention chosen herein for purposes of the disclosure are at present considered to be preferred, it is to be understood that this invention is intended to cover all changes and modifications in said embodiments which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

1 claim:

1. In a meat slicing device for slicing a slab of meat, the device including conveyor means for transporting a slab of meat to a rotary slicing blade means, the rotation axis of the rotary slicing blade means being parallel to the direction of movement of the slab by the conveyor means, the rotary slicing blade means comprising at least two arcuate blade sections mounted on a hub, the blade sections being mounted transversely of, and eccentrically to, said rotation axis, each of said blade sections including a leading edge closer to said rotation axis than the trailing edge thereof;

the improvement wherein said blade sections are perpendicular to said rotation axis. 2. In a meat slicing device according to claim 1, the improvement wherein said blade sections are coplanar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,744,597 l/ 1930 Vasconcellos. 1,909,029 5/1933 Walter 14695 2,742,937 4/ 1956 Herzer 146-67 X W. GRAYDON ABERCROMBIE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 83355 

